Forms part of the United States District Court of Oregon Oral History Project.
Collection is open for research.
Gift of the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society, July 2018 (Lib. Acc. 29310).
William Michael Gillette was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1941. A few years later, he moved with his family to Milton-Freewater, Oregon. In 1963, he earned a bachelor's degree from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and in 1966, he earned a law degree from Harvard University. Later that year, he joined the law firm of Rives and Rogers in Portland, Oregon. He worked as a prosecutor for the Multnomah County district attorney's office, then from 1969 to 1971, he served as an assistant attorney general for American Samoa. In 1971, he returned to Portland and served as chief counsel of the Consumer Protection Division of the Oregon attorney general's office. In 1973, he became solicitor general of Oregon. From 1977 to 1986, he served as a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals, and from 1986 to 2010, he served as a justice on the Oregon Supreme Court. After retiring from the court, he joined the Schwabe, Williamson, and Wyatt law firm in Portland. He also taught at Portland State University, at the Northwest College of Law at Lewis and Clark College, and at Willamette University.
Gillette was married twice. His first marriage was to Judy Saima Cox, in 1960; they had two children and later divorced. He remarried to Toni Boone.
Sources: Vital records on Ancestry.com; information provided by Gillette in his interview.
Forms part of the United States District Court of Oregon Oral History Project.
Oral history interview with W. Michael Gillette, by Michael O'Rourke, SR 11208, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Recordings of speeches and lectures by W. Michael Gillette, SR 122 and SR 310, are also held at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This oral history interview with W. Michael Gillette was conducted by Michael O'Rourke in Gillette's office at the Schwabe, Williamson, and Wyatt law firm in Portland, Oregon, as part of the United States District Court of Oregon Oral History Project. The interview was conducted in seven sessions from May 16, 2012, to December 10, 2014; the first four sessions were recorded as digital audio files, and sessions five through seven were recorded as digital video files.
In this interview, Gillette discusses his early life in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, and talks about his college experiences at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and at Harvard University. He discusses practicing law at the Rives and Rogers firm in Portland, working as a prosecutor for the Multnomah County district attorney's office from 1967 to 1969, and working as assistant attorney general for American Samoa from 1969 to 1971. He then discusses his service as chief counsel of the Consumer Protection Division of the Oregon attorney general's office from 1971 to 1973, and as solicitor general of Oregon from 1973 to 1977. He speaks at length about serving as a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals from 1977 to 1986, and as a justice on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1986 to 2010.
Joint copyright is held by the Oregon Historical Society, the U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society, and W. Michael Gillette. Use of this interview is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted:
In the first interview session, conducted on May 16, 2012, Gillette discusses his early life in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, including his education and family life. He describes a childhood trip to Washington, D.C., which inspired him to pursue a career in public service. He talks about his college experiences at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, including his marriage to Judy Saima Cox and becoming a parent while studying. He speaks at length about his experiences studying law at Harvard University.
In the second interview session, conducted on June 12, 2012, Gillette discusses practicing law at the Rives and Rogers firm in Portland and working with Herbert Schwab. He shares his reasons for leaving the firm to work for the Multnomah County district attorney's office. He talks about cases he worked on as a lawyer, about lawyers he worked with, and about working for District Attorney George Van Hoomissen. He then shares his experiences during his service as assistant attorney general for American Samoa from 1969 to 1971.
In the third interview session, conducted on July 10, 2012, Gillette discusses his service as chief counsel of the Consumer Protection Division of the Oregon attorney general's office from 1971 to 1973, and as solicitor general of Oregon from 1973 to 1977. He talks about cases he worked on and about working for Oregon Attorney General Lee Johnson.
In the fourth interview session, conducted on September 26, 2012, Gillette continues to discuss his service as chief counsel of the Consumer Protection Division of the Oregon attorney general's office from 1971 to 1973, and as solicitor general of Oregon from 1973 to 1977. He describes arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court, talks about people he worked with, and discusses cases he worked on. He then discusses his service as a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals from 1977 to 1986. He talks about his appointment in 1977, and about judges he served with, including Betty Roberts.
In the fifth interview session, conducted on August 7, 2013, Gillette continues to discuss his service as a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals from 1977 to 1986. He speaks further about serving on the bench with Betty Roberts and other judges. He talks about his role as a presiding judge, about cases he heard, and about opinions he wrote.
In the sixth interview session, conducted on December 4, 2013, Gillette continues to discuss his service as a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals from 1977 to 1986. He speaks about a case he heard regarding term limits. He also talks about the manner in which the selection of judges varies between states. He briefly discusses the careers of some of his law clerks. He discusses his service as a justice on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1986 to 2010. He discusses his ability to help his fellow justices reach a consensus, and shares his reasons for retiring in 2010. He talks about practicing law at the Schwabe, Williamson, and Wyatt law firm in Portland since 2010, and about his marriage to Toni Boone. He also talks about playing basketball.
In the seventh and final interview session, conducted on December 10, 2014, Gillette discusses serving on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1986 to 2010. He talks about judges he served with, including Hans Linde, and about cases he heard, including one regarding the death penalty. He also discusses the transition from serving on the Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court.